Upper East Side · Since 1996
The Upper East Side barbershop on First Avenue since 1996.
Master barbers. Hot-towel shaves. Scissor work that has outlasted three mayors and every grooming trend in between. 1295 First Avenue, between 69th and 70th.
- Since 1996
- Five master barbers
- Walk-ins welcome
- Lenox Hill · Yorkville · Midtown East
Thirty years on First Avenue.
Eddie’s has been on First Avenue for three decades, first up the block on 68th, now between 69th and 70th since 2011. The same straight razor. The same hot towels. The same approach to the work, carried forward by David, who took the shop over from Eddie in 2022 and still cuts hair every day. We are not a grooming lounge.
We are a barbershop, the way the Upper East Side has always understood the word. A real chair. A real shave. People who remember your name and the cut you asked for last December. The shop sits between 69th and 70th on First Avenue, one block from the Q train at Lexington-72nd, four from the 6 at 68th-Hunter, walking distance from Lenox Hill Hospital, Carl Schurz Park, and most of the Yorkville brownstones.
Five master barbers work the chairs. David, who owns the shop and took it over from Eddie in 2022. Helen, who has been doing this for thirty-eight years. Jacob, who came to barbering from photography. Mila, who has built her chair around the relationship with the client. Roman, who specializes in skin fades and beard architecture. Between them they have over a hundred years of cuts behind them, enough that whatever you walked in with, one of them has handled it before.
We take walk-ins six days a week and we take appointments. Either works. If your time is tight, book ahead and your barber will be standing when you arrive. If you have an hour and feel like reading the paper in our waiting area, walk in. Both kinds of visit are how a barbershop is supposed to work.
Services
Built precisely, finished cleanly, every chair.
01 · Haircut
Men’s Haircut
Scissor or clipper. Hot-lather sideburns and neckline. A hot towel before you stand up. Thirty minutes, start to finish.
Read more →
02 · Modern
Skin Fade
Faded to the skin. Blended without lines. Roman builds them so the seam disappears into the scalp.
Read more →
03 · Tradition
Straight Razor Shave
Three hot towels. Fresh lather. A blade older than email. The closest shave a man can get.
Read more →
04 · Grooming
Beard Trim
Scissors or clippers, full beard, goatee, Van Dyke. We shape what you brought us.
Read more →Menu
Prices, plainly.
Every service we offer with its starting price and average length. Prices may rise slightly with longer hair, more complex work, or our most senior barbers, your barber will tell you before they start. No surprises at the chair.
Haircuts
- Men’s Haircut from $45
- Skin Fade from $45
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Buzz Cut / No Fade from $40
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Cut with Shampoo from $50
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Men’s Color from $65
Shaves & Razor
- Hot Towel Shave from $45
- Shave Deluxe from $65
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Head Shave from $45
Grooming & Trim
- Beard Trim from $25
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Outline from $25
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Ears / Nose Wax from $20
- Facial Mask from $35
Kids
- Kids Cut from $45
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Girls Cut from $45
Specialty & Combos
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Haircut & Beard Trim Combo from $65
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Haircut & Hot Towel Shave Combo from $85
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Hospital / Home Service from $80
Why Eddie’s
Four reasons men keep coming back.
01
Thirty years on the same block.
Eddie’s opened in 1996. We have outlasted three mayors, every wave of Upper East Side grooming trends, two recessions, and one pandemic. The shop has not moved further than across the street. Most of our regulars have been coming for ten, fifteen, twenty years. A few since the first month.
02
Every barber hand-picked by the owner.
David, owner, master barber, still on the floor every day, has personally trained or vetted every chair in this shop. We do not hire the way a salon hires. We hire the way a chef hires a sous-chef. If you have been to a barber here, you have been to a barber David trusts with his own name.
03
Traditional barbering, done properly.
Hot lather, straight razor, multiple steamed towels. The deluxe shave is thirty minutes and ends with a facial-head-shoulder massage you did not know you needed. We do scissor work, skin fades, beard architecture, kids’ cuts, head shaves, and the kind of outline that makes the haircut look twice as fresh. We are not a grooming lounge.
04
Walk-ins welcome, booking saves time.
We have always taken walk-ins and we always will. If you have an hour, come in, read the paper, get your cut. If your day is tight, book online and your barber will be standing when you walk through the door. Both are how the shop is supposed to work, neither is the “wrong” way.
The story
An institution on the Upper East Side.
“An institution on the Upper East Side. I’ve been going to Eddie’s since 1999.”
, Victor, regular
Eddie’s Haircut and Shave first opened its doors in 1996, and David Yagudayev took over ownership in 2022. Since his very first day, David has been at his chair almost every single day. He chose every barber working here personally, Helen, Jacob, Mila, Roman, for the same reason: they cut hair the way it is supposed to be cut.
A real shop. A real chair. A real shave. We have been a neighborhood staple for decades, and we are here to stay.
Read our full story →The barbers
Five master barbers. A hundred years of cuts.
David
Helen
Jacob
Mila
Roman
What to expect
A visit, from the door to the door.
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01
You arrive.
1295 First Avenue, between 69th and 70th, on the east side of the street. The door has the gold “Eddie’s” lettering. Hang your coat on the rack to the left. If you booked, your barber knows you are here. If you walked in, we will get you into the next available chair, typically under ten minutes.
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02
A two-minute conversation.
Before any blade touches your head, your barber will ask how short, where the part lives, what worked last time and what did not. Bring a photo if you have one. Bring a description if you do not. We do not start cutting until we both agree what you are leaving with.
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03
The cut, or the shave, or both.
Scissors over comb, clippers with guards, fade work to whatever number you asked for. If you booked a shave, expect three hot towels, hot lather worked into the beard with a brush, and a straight razor pulled in two passes, with the grain, then against. The whole thing is quiet. We do not talk during the close work.
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04
Finish, mirror, the leave.
A hot towel before you stand up. A check in the mirror, back, sides, neckline. If the cut is not right, we fix it on the chair. You pay at the front. We see you in five or six weeks, sometimes sooner, sometimes a little longer. Whichever you prefer.
From the regulars
What our chairs sound like.
Frequently asked
Before you walk in.
How much does a haircut cost at Eddie’s?
A men’s haircut starts at $45 for thirty minutes, scissor or clipper, hot lather on the sideburns and neckline, hot towel finish. A buzz cut without a fade is $40. A haircut with a shampoo is $50. Hot towel shave is $45. The shave deluxe, straight razor plus facial and shoulder massage, is $65. The combo haircut and hot towel shave is $85 for an hour. Prices may rise slightly with longer hair, more complex fades, or our most senior barbers; your barber will tell you before they start. See the full price menu →
Do you take walk-ins or do I need an appointment?
Both. Walk-ins are welcome any time we are open. We staff for them. If you walk in mid-afternoon on a Tuesday, expect to be in a chair within ten minutes. Saturday is closed; Sunday mornings can fill up. If your day is tight, book online and your barber will be standing when you arrive.
What is the difference between a hot towel shave and a straight razor shave?
At Eddie’s they overlap. A hot towel shave at our shop is a straight razor shave, three steamed towels to soften the beard, fresh lather brushed in, then a straight razor pulled in two passes. What we call “shave deluxe” adds a facial mud-pack masque, head and shoulder massage, and an additional finishing towel. About thirty minutes versus twenty. If you only have time for one in your life, make it the deluxe.
How long does a typical visit take?
Plan thirty minutes for a haircut, twenty for a beard trim, thirty for a hot towel shave, and an hour for the haircut-and-shave combo. The deluxe shave runs about thirty minutes. Kids’ cuts are thirty minutes. If you booked online, you will see the time slot before you confirm. Walk-in waits are usually under ten minutes on weekdays.
How much should I tip my barber?
Twenty percent is the New York standard for a service you were happy with. On a $45 haircut, that’s around $9. On an $85 combo, it’s $17. Tips are cash or Venmo only, we don’t run tips through credit cards, so come prepared with a bit of cash or have Venmo open on your phone. Whatever you tip goes directly to your barber. If a barber went above and beyond, squeezed you in last-minute, took extra care with a difficult cut, most regulars round up.
Do you cut all hair types and textures?
Yes. Our barbers have hundred years of combined experience across straight, wavy, curly, coily, fine, coarse, thinning, and thick hair. We do scissor work for longer styles, all standard fades and tapers, skin fades, classic side parts, crew cuts, buzz cuts, and full head shaves. If you have a specific texture or styling concern, mention it when you book and we will match you to the barber who specializes in it.
Can I bring my kids?
Yes, and we like it when you do. Kids’ cuts are $45, designed for ages two to six and up. We have a DVD player and an iPad available for the child to watch during the cut; most kids settle in fine. Many of our regulars first came to Eddie’s because their fathers brought them. We are happy to continue the tradition.
Where is Eddie’s and how do I get there?
1295 First Avenue, New York, NY 10021. East side of First Avenue, between 69th and 70th Streets, in the Lenox Hill section of the Upper East Side. By subway: the 6 train at 68th-Hunter is four blocks west, the Q at 72nd-Second is two blocks north. By bus: M15 stops at our corner; M101, M102, M103 run on Third. Street parking exists but is honest about itself, give yourself ten minutes. Open in Google Maps →
Visit
1295 First Avenue, between 69th and 70th.
- Address
- 1295 First Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Between 69th & 70th Streets · Upper East Side - Hours
- Mon–Fri 8 AM – 7 PM
Sat Closed
Sun 9 AM – 6 PM - Phone
- (212) 861-1143
Walk in. Or book ahead.
Drop in. Or take the chair.
Walk-ins are always welcome. Booking ahead means your barber is ready when you are, coat off, towel hot.
